More Mali (2b) The Canadian Peace Alliance’s take: “…. One transport plane and a few Canadian “trainers” is just the thin edge of the wedge. There is a real fear of “mission creep” as witnessed in the Libyan situation. Canada’s involvement as a junior partner to a NATO aggression in Africa could mushroom in the coming months and years. All this is being done without public or parliamentary debate. This unilateral support for war by the Harper government without consultation must stop ….”

More Mali (3) TorStar Columnist: “Slowly, inexorably, Canada and the world are being drawn into Mali ….”

“Five workers, including a Canadian, two Peruvians and two Colombians, were kidnapped on Friday by leftist rebels at a gold mine in northern Colombia, the army said. “A group of 20 or 25 bandits from the ELN burst into the place and kidnapped five people,” army General Alejandro Navas told reporters, referring to the National Liberation Army, Colombia’s second-largest guerrilla group. Canadian mining company Braeval Mining Corp. said those kidnapped worked at its Snow mine project. Gen. Navas said soldiers backed by the air force had launched an operation to track down the rebels. He said the kidnapped workers included a Canadian, two Peruvians and two Colombians. Braeval said it was cooperating with the authorities to ensure the health and safety of its employees. It said three employees and two consultants were abducted but did not release their nationalities ….” – more on the ELN here, and from other media (via Google News) here.